Local launch for novel written by former Athlone judge

Portarlington man Jim O'Sullivan was once "the heaviest alcoholic in the country," before turning his life around to serve as a judge who worked to reduce the damage caused by drink in Ireland. Now retired, 79-year-old has become a novelist, and his book - The Stiletto - will be launched in Athlone's Radisson Hotel on Friday, November 18, from 7-9pm. Judge O'Sullivan sat on the bench for over 20 years. For the majority of this time he served in Athlone and the midlands, developing a reputation as a fair and compassionate judge. He retired from the bench on August 3, 2002, the day before his 70th birthday. Speaking to the Westmeath Independent this week, Judge O'Sullivan said: "I certainly enjoyed my time in Athlone. There were wonderful registrars there such as Pat Looney and Martin Conlon. Pat was exceptional - when he was there you would never make a mistake." He also recalled some enjoyable times playing at Athlone Golf Club. The Stiletto is Judge O'Sullivan's first publication, but it is not the first novel he has written. He told a remarkable story about writing one as a young solicitor, only for it to be destroyed during a night of drinking with the late author Brendan Behan. "I had written this manuscript and I wanted to get an opinion on it. At the time the only person I knew who knew about writing was Brendan Behan. He was a great drinking friend of mine. "We met up in his uncle's house, a little cottage in Killenard. His uncle was Peadar Kearney, who wrote the national anthem. Lest I had no money, Behan brought two bottles of whiskey. And lest he had no money, I brought two bottles of whiskey. "Behan read what I had written and after he was finished he shook my hand and said 'gosson, you've written a bestseller.' And he wrote on it - 'I wish I had written this book' - before signing it and dating it." Then, disaster struck. "Between the heat of the fire and the heat of the whiskey, we fell asleep, and he managed to knock the manuscript into the fire, where it was destroyed." Judge O'Sullivan said that as a young man he was unbeatable at drinking contests, often drinking (in one gulp) full pint glasses of red wine, cheap champagne and cheap brandy. "If I had any other quality as good as my ability to drink in these contests I would have been a genius," he said. His alcoholism worsened, and he checked into the St John of God Hospital to receive treatment. As a judge he was sober, and he set up the first successful Alcoholic Rehabilitation Court outside the United States of America, in the centre of Dublin. Following his time as a judge, he became chairman of the Adoption Board. He described The Stiletto as "a novel which was inspired by my experiences on the bench." The book doesn't shy away from the grittier side of life, and it features blackmail, rape and murder. Judge O'Sullivan has experienced a number of health difficulties in recent times. "I broke my spine twice. I was totally paralysed but after two successful operations I'm hobbling around with the aid of sticks," he said. "When I went back to the hospital to get examined I felt much better, but then they came in with faces as long as a mile. 'Don't tell me I'm going to break the spine again,' I said. 'No,' they said. 'You have cancer'. It would be funny if it wasn't so serious." In spite of this, he remains in very good spirits and said he's already started work on his next novel. The launch of The Stiletto by Jim O'Sullivan will take place in Athlone's Radisson Hotel on Friday, November 18, from 7-9pm. All are welcome.